


Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

by ElleRen31



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Author Pretends To Be Knowledgeable About African Tribes And National Parks, Conservation Research, Elements of TROS, F/M, Happily Ever After, Hyenas, I Mean Like A Ridiculous Amount, Lion King (1994) References, Lion King Broadway, Lions, Many Google Translations, Mild Smut, Past Character Death, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo Fanfictions Anthology, Reylo Valentines Exchange, Romance, Safari, Sassy Tags, South Africa, go wild - Freeform, lots of them - Freeform, reylo au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:07:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElleRen31/pseuds/ElleRen31
Summary: Ben Solo travels to Takodana National Park in South Africa on a research mission where he meets fellow researcher, Rey. While they might get along as well as lions and hyenas at first, perhaps they have more in common with each other than they think.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38
Collections: For one is both and both are one in love: The Reylo Fanfiction Anthology's Valentine's Day Exchange





	Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shiiera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiiera/gifts).



> shiiera: You said to 'go wild' in your anthology request, so I took that literally. ;) This is by far the longest one shot I have written. I hope you enjoy every bit of it. Happy Valentine's Day!

^#^#^

“Ow.”

Ben Solo winces as his head hits the ceiling of the Jeep for the third time in the last hour. Curse these bumpy dirt roads and curse his taller than average frame! He had been in this car for nearly four hours and his legs were partially numb from having been cramped inside the 4X4 for so long. Unfortunately for Ben, this was the only way to get to Takodana National Park from the airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Takodana National Park was one of the largest game reserves in Africa and home to 147 different species, including the African Big 5: Buffalos, Rhinos, Elephants, Leopards, and Lions. But Ben didn’t come to Takodana for any of those. He wasn’t a tourist by any means. He was in pursuit of his doctorate in Environmental Conservation, and for that he needed to complete and publish his ongoing thesis on one of the top African predators - the spotted Hyena.

He glances over at his travel companion, a man named Poe Dameron, and frowns. Poe is shorter than Ben and therefore not cramped in the vehicle at all. In fact, Poe’s arm is casually slung out the open window, the sun shining on his tan face, wind whipping at his curly brown hair. Poe is in his first year of graduate school at Yavin University. He was the only other student besides Ben to have received the prestigious Organa Grant of funding in order to travel to Africa for research crucial to their graduation. Though if Ben was honest with himself, Poe was the one who really deserved the grant.

“I think I can see the entrance from here!” Poe shouts to Ben over the roar of the engine and the wind whistling past. Ben squints through the windshield, looking out past the clouds of dirt and dust being kicked up by the car. The roof of a slightly rounded building can be seen in the distance, beyond the rolling fields of golden grass.

“The rangers are awaiting your arrival, sirs.” Their driver, Nigel, informs them. Poe shoots Ben a grin just as they hit another bump in the road and Ben’s head crashes into the ceiling for the fourth time. They are waved past the gate by an armed man in an olive green jumpsuit toting a rifle and the Jeep pulls up to the concrete building, right next to a set of flagpoles that proudly display the South African and official National Parks flags. 

Ben’s boots crunch in the gravel underfoot as he exits the car and stretches. Damn it feels good to be out of the car! But now that he is without the wind breezing through an open window to keep him cool, the heat begins to settle in quickly. A man in a brown and red jacket over his green jumpsuit exits the building and comes over to greet them. He shakes Poe’s hand first.

“You must be from the University. We have been expecting you. I am Finn, the lead ranger here at the D’Qar Station of Takodana National Park.” He says, gesturing around with his free hand.

“Nice to meet you Finn, I’m Poe. Poe Dameron.” Poe says, flashing his signature grin at the ranger.

“Ben Solo.” Ben says next, extending his hand to Finn. Finn’s eyes narrow slightly as he shakes Ben’s hand.

“I know who you are.” Finn says stiffly through his thick African accent before quickly dropping Ben’s hand. Ben takes a step back and quickly looks away, avoiding Poe’s curious gaze.

“I assume you wish to settle in after your long journey. The lodges are back this way, beyond the visitor center.” Finn says as he points out a group of buildings in the distance that are shaped similarly to the visitor center. “My second in command, Jannah, will be on hand this evening should you require an escort across the grounds.”

Poe frowns at this. “Wait, we have to be escorted? I thought this was a game reserve, not a prison.” He jokes. Ben rolls his eyes. This is obviously Poe’s first time studying abroad. Maybe Poe should have chosen studying a species of a lesser danger. Perhaps a naked mole rat would have sufficed.

“Takodana is an open reserve.” Finn explains to Poe. “Wildlife can come through at any time. Especially at night. It is required for all guests of the park to be escorted in the evenings no matter what.”

“Oh. Right.” Poe says sheepishly. “Looks like I should have read the in-flight brochure, am I right?” Poe self deprecates, laughing. He slaps a hand on Ben’s shoulder. Ben shrugs him off.

“Ama-american ayisiphukuphuku.” Finn mutters lowly. He clears this throat, speaking normal again. “This way. I’ll show you to your quarters.”

The men remove their luggage from the back of the Jeep and Finn leads the way towards the lodge. Several other rangers are wandering about as well as tourists decked out in khakis and sunglasses, high powered cameras slung around their necks.

“The mess hall is over here. You’ll find a schedule of meal hours in your room.” Finn notes as he gestures to an open air patio filled with several picnic tables.

“Is it safe to have food in an area so open like that?” Poe questions as they walk past the mess hall. Finn just laughs heartily.

“It depends. Are you the food?” He chuckles. Poe cracks a smile and begins to laughs along with Finn.

“I like this guy!” Poe says to Ben. Ben just purses his lips in disproval and shifts the weight of the various duffel bags hanging from his shoulders and his arms.

“This is your room here on the end.” Finn says, stopping in front of the door of a rounded concrete hut with a grass roof at the end of a short row of similar shaped buildings. “The other huts are currently occupied by researchers such as yourselves, so please do remember to be courteous.”

“Other researchers? Are they from universities, too?” Poe asks as he accepts the keys to the hut from Finn. Finn shakes his head. “Not all. Some are local. Now, do you need anything else before I head back to the main building?”

Poe and Ben shake their head at Finn and Finn gives them a short nod of his head before turning and heading back the way they came. Poe jiggles the key in the lock and opens the door to their home for the next two months. Poe taps on the decrepit looking air conditioning unit just below the front window and gives the knob a few twists.

“Broken.” Poe deduces aloud.

Two months without working air conditioning during Africa’s dry season. Great.

Poe flings his duffels at the foot of one of the two beds and flops back onto it, spread eagled. Dust swirls up around him and Ben sneezes. “I don’t know about you but I am TIRED.” Poe groans as he rubs at his eyes. “I think I’ll -” Poe yawns loudly. “-take a quick nap and then get something to eat. How does that sound?”

“Mmm.” Ben hums in reply as he picks up the printed cardstock mess hall menu that is followed up by a list of important ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of staying at a wildlife reserve. A growl startles Ben and he nearly drops the schedule as he whips around. But it’s not a wild animal having lain in wait inside the cabin. It’s Poe, having fallen quickly into a deep sleep accompanied by a loud snore.

Make that two grueling months with no air conditioning AND a roommate who snores.

^#^#^

The following morning, Ben struggles to quickly wash himself inside what he believes to be the smallest shower imaginable. The shower is obviously fine enough for Poe, who showered before him with no issues of potential flood waters from the showerhead over the cracked title floor of the shared bathroom. When Ben emerges, Poe is shaving his face in the sink in front of the mirror in nothing but a hideous orange towel, but the towel just happens to be draped around his shoulders instead of his waist where it would be appropriate. Ben grimaces at his roommates boldness and scoots past him to grab his clothes for the day, expertly packed away the night before in the cabins rollaway closet.

Ben slathers on a layer of sunscreen before dressing in an olive green dress shirt, pairing it with a pair of tan pants. He rummages in his field bag, slung over the back of a worn red armchair and pulls out a brown glasses case. He pops the case open and takes out a pair of well worn and loved Aviator sunglasses and puts them on. The glasses perch across his aquiline nose just right. He glances at his reflection in the small camping mirror that hung from the front of the rolling closet. As if he wasn’t awkward enough, with his too tall height, broad shoulders, inky black hair, pale complexion and series of moles and beauty marks - Ben had a facial scar that cut from just above his right eye all the way down to his clavicle. The large frames of the sunglasses covers his scar just enough, and that was good enough for him.

“I’m going to go grab some breakfast.” Ben says to Poe as he shoves the glasses case and canteen into his field bag.

“All right man, I’ll see you over there in a bit. Don’t get eaten on the way!” Poe chuckles as Ben exits the cabin.

There are about a dozen or so people already gathered under the sun bleached canvas that covers the mess hall. There is a table of buffet style skillets from which people are taking from, loading their wooden bowls and plates with breakfast. Walking up to the buffet he grabs a plate from the end and makes a beeline to the skillet steaming with freshly cooked bacon, eagerly reaching for the tongs.

“Excuse me. Hello?” There is a tap on his arm and he looks to his left. A visibly annoyed young woman glares up at him with fierce hazel eyes. Her chocolate brown hair is pulled up into a peculiar three bun fashion and there is a spattering of freckles across her face. Her skin is golden tan from long exposure to the outdoors and she wears a tight white tank top with a brown shirt tied around the waist of her too short khaki shorts. “Yeah, hi. Do you speak English?” She asks. He picks up on an British accent.

“Yes… I speak English.” Ben replies, unsure why this matters.

“Oh good because, see, you see you just cut in front of me. Which means you also cut in front of all these lovely people waiting patiently behind me for their breakfast.” She gestures to the line of people behind her, some of them rangers in their assigned jumpsuits. She turns back to him, her free hand on her hip. The other holds a plate of biscuits smothered in gravy. “This is Africa. We respect the food chain here. So get to the back to the line and wait your turn like the dirty, scavenging Hyena you are.”

There are a few snickers from those witnessing what is happening. Ben pulls his sunglasses up to rest in his dark hair to better sneer at this woman with his own dark, angry eyes. “For your information, Hyenas can kill up to 95% of the animals that they eat. Have you ever seen a Hyena scare away a lion from it’s kill? Because I have! Now tell me - how does that sounds like a scavenger to you?” He snaps.

The girl puts down her plate on the buffet table and crosses her arms smugly. “Have you ever seen a single lion take down a Hyena matriarch in less than two minutes? Because _I_ have. Lions are a HUNDRED times better than Hyenas. In fact - there’s an entire movie about how much better they are than them, including an award winning Broadway adaptation!”

Ben sputtered his disbelief. “Are you talking about ‘The Lion King’? That movie is HIGHLY inaccurate. Not to mention for KIDS.”

“At least they honored the food chain in the Lion King! Now get your ass to the back of the line!” The girl snaps, pointing angrily behind her.

Ben stands fuming, his hands white knuckling around his plate and the bacon tongs. He opens his mouth for a rebuttal but is instead interrupted by Finn quickly approaching the two of them. “Is everything okay over here, Rey?” Finn asks the girl. Rey snatches her plate back up and reaches into the pan of bacon with her bare hand and grabs a handful.

“Everything’s fine.” Rey snaps to Finn, but her eyes never leave Bens. She takes an angry bite of her fistful of bacon and it’s the most primal and disgusting thing Ben has ever seen - and he’s seen Hyenas disembowel an Elephant carcass. Finn shoots Ben a look and follows Rey over to a nearby picnic table. Angry and embarrassed, Ben tosses the bacon tongs back in the skillet and wordlessly moves to the back of the line.

“Ubani indoda enesibazi?” Rey is now saying to Finn. She gestures to her face with her non bacon filled hand.

“Umcwaningi ovela eMelika. Qaphela lowo.”

“Kungani usho njalo?”

“Ngizokutshela ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.” 

Ben seethes as he listens to the two of them speaking in Zulu. He knows they’re talking about him, he just knows it. He’s mentally kicking himself for never taking the time to learn it. Enough people in South Africa spoke English, so what was the point?

“Hey there roomie!” Poe says, suddenly appearing behind Ben. “Lots of hungry people here today.” He comments, surveying the line for the buffet. “Hope there’s enough left by the time it’s our turn, or we’ll be scavenging like our beloved Hyenas!”

Ben just sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just… Shut up Poe.” He grumbles. Poe frowns and grabs a plate as they inch forward in line. “All right man, my bad. You’re not a morning person, I get it.” Poe continues to jabber as they gather their breakfast. “Hey look it’s Finn! Let’s go eat over there with him.” Poe says and immediately makes his way to the table where Finn, Rey, and a new girl with voluminous curls in a ranger uniform are sitting.

“Poe, don’t-” Ben starts to say but Poe is already settling himself down onto the bench next to Finn, leaving Ben to momentarily hover awkwardly by the buffet table.

“Hey Finn, how’s it going?” Poe says cheerfully. “Man, I slept like a log last night!”

“From what I heard during my patrols, it sounded like you slept like a warthog.” The girl with the curls says. She sticks out a hand to Poe. “I’m Jannah.”

“Haha! Yeah, I’ve been told I can snore from time to time. But ONLY when I’m _really_ tired.” Poe laughs. Poe turns his attention to Rey, who is doing her best to not bring attention to herself but is failing. “We haven’t met! I’m Poe. Poe Dameron. Yavin University.” Poe says, extending his hand to Rey.

“Rey.” Rey says unenthusiastically, quickly shaking Poe’s hand.

“Cool accent!” Poe says, beaming. “Are you from one of the other universities?” Rey gives a short nod. “Let me guess… Coruscant?” Poe guesses.

Rey shakes her head. “Nope. I’m a local. Cape Town.”

Poe’s mouth falls open before grinning. “So if you’re from Africa… Why are you white?”

Finn and Jannah stare awkwardly at Poe for a moment. Rey cracks a smirk, revealing a small dimple in her cheek.

“Mean Girls. Nice reference.” Rey replies, amused. Finn just shakes his head and Jannah lightly laughs.

“So… Rey… What are you here studying?” Poe pries.

“I’m an animal behaviorist. I’m currently studying the different prides of lions found throughout TNP for my graduate thesis.”

“Wow! Small world!” Poe says. He shovels a mouthful of cornmeal pancakes into his mouth and rudely speaks as he chews. “Ya know, Ben and I are here for the same thing - except we’re studying Hyenas and he’s here for his Doctorate. Have you met Ben yet?” Poe shucks a thumb over in Ben’s direction where he is sitting at a nearby table, alone. Ben’s head snaps up at the mention of his name and he glances over at Poe.

Rey catches Ben’s gaze, her lips pursing. “Not formally, no.” She answers, her tone clipped. She turns back to her plate. “Hyenas, hmm? That explains it.” She mutters loud enough for Ben to hear her. 

Jannah clears her throat. “We’ve scheduled the caravan to take you three out into the park in time for dusk.” She says to Poe. “Once the jeeps return from the morning run with the other researchers, they’ll gas up to be ready to go back out.”

Rey’s shoulders visibly slump with annoyance at being lumped together with Ben and Poe for tonight’s safari, but she nods in understanding at Jannah. She shoots another glance over at Ben and frowns. Jannah leans close to Rey and whispers to her. “Uyazi ukuthi ubukeka kanjani?” Rey shakes her head. “Isilo.”

Finn and Jannah start laughing at what is said. Poe looks around at the rangers and beams, oblivious. “Haha! Isilo!” Finn repeats, slapping a hand on his knee. Rey stands up from the picnic table and gathers up her plate and utensils. On her way to go rinse her dishes at the water pump, she pauses next to Ben’s table. “See you at 1600 hours, isilo.” She says haughtily to him.

Ben clenches his jaw angrily as he watches her walk away. Back at he cabin, he hurriedly digs out the Zulu/English dictionary he found yesterday in the cabins bedside table drawer and flips it through it until he finds what he was looking for. “Vulture?” He practically shouts as he reads the description.

He grunts angrily and chucks the book across the room. That girl was _really_ getting on his nerves. He runs his hands through his hair in frustration. This is not what he needs right now. His future in conservation depended on this thesis! Without the thesis, the Organa Grant would have been for nothing. The research would be for nothing. HE would be nothing. Not to mention - what would his mother have to say about all this?

“Doesn’t matter.” He says to himself as he paces the small length of the cabin. He would just have to prove to her that Hyenas were the far superior King of the Jungle.

^#^#^

As Ben is leaving the cabin to head to the Jeeps, he spots Rey greeting a group of people he assumes are the other visiting researchers. There were two dark haired girls, one much shorter than the other, and a skinny blonde. They were accompanied by a blonde man around Poe’s build and a burly man with a neatly trimmed beard.

“How did it go out there?” Rey was asking the shortest girl. The girl beams.

“It was great! I was able to collect almost all the samples I needed. Snap’s got them all in his bag.” The petite Asian gestures over towards the man with the beard.

“This shit is heavy. Literally. I am carrying literal shit.” The man, Snap, complains lightheartedly as he pats the square canvas cooler that hung off his shoulder. “You want me to leave with this you Rose? Or bring it to the lab?”

“Take it to the lab!” Rose said, waving Snap off. Snap nods to her and leaves. Rose turns back to Rey. “Jessika and Beau didn’t see much activity but Kaydel did pick a signal from one of the lions.”

“Oh good! Perhaps that means there will be significant movement from the pride tonight.” Rey says hopefully. Rose eyes Ben as he walks silently past, field bag slung over his shoulder. “Who’s that?” She asks.

“Some big shot researcher from the states - Yavin University, I think it was. He’s here for the hyenas.”

Rose makes a face. “Ugh. Hyenas. Gross. Well, if they’re out tonight, you’ll be sure to smell them from a mile away!” They laugh and briefly hug before Rey sets out towards the welcome center. Ben is waiting alone for the caravan. Their eyes meet and for a moment they just stare each other down, just like predators waiting to strike. A car horn beeps, causing them each to flinch. Two Jeeps pull around the corner of the center, gravel crunching loudly beneath their tires.

“Ubers here!” Calls out one of the drivers, an American female with wavy light brown hair. “Let’s load up and get back out there. I’ve got room for one. Who’s it gonna be?”

Rey makes a step towards the jeep first, but Poe shows up out of no where, knocking Rey aside with the bulky duffel clinging to his back. Rey stumbles back and hits something solid and warm. She turns to find Ben, staring down at her with shock and disgust. She quickly moves away from him, face flushing with anger and embarrassment. Now she was stuck sharing a Jeep with the most grumpiest person on the planet.

“Well hello there.” Poe says to the woman driving his Jeep. “I’m Poe. Poe Dameron. And you are?”

“Zorii Bliss.” The driver says, unaffected by Poe’s charming demeanor.

Rey climbs up into the other Jeep, smiling at the familiar face of her driver. “Hey Babu!” She says happily as she settles into the first open seat of the Jeep. The old mans wrinkled dark skin practically glows as he offers Rey a toothy grin. He greets her in his native language and Rey exchanges pleasantries back as Ben drops his field bag onto the empty seat across from her.

“Hello! I Babu Frik.” Babu greets Ben in broken English.

“Ben Solo.” Ben grunts in reply. 

Rey can only assume Poe has recycled this mornings ‘Mean Girls’ line on Zorii as she overhears her threaten to splatter Poe’s brain matter all over the savanna. She smirks at this. Apparently she’s not the only one regretting this carpool out onto the reserve.

“Hey, hey! We go!” Babu says excitedly as the Jeep peels away from the center, closely followed by Zorii and Poe. Ben clutches the frame of the Jeep overhead with one hand as they drive along the winding dirt path that extends from D’Qar station into the reserve. Rey ignores him and he ignores her, gazing out at the vast grasslands. Babu breaks the silence by beginning to sing a chant in his foreign tongue with Rey joining in on the replies of the chorus.

“We baba zingela!”

“Siyo zingela baba!”

Ben watches Rey from the corner of his eye. Her dimple returns as she smiles and sways to the tune of the chant, almost in time with the rocking of the Jeep as it diverges off the dirt path and out into the savanna. After close to an hour in the Jeep, Babu stops the vehicle in a clear patch of land. Roughly a hundred yards away, Zorii parks her Jeep and pulls out a tracking antennae from the equipment case in the seat across from Poe. She unfolds the spokes and protrudes the device up through the open frame of the Jeep like a bare umbrella. She secures a pair of large headphones over her ears and expertly twists the antennae, waiting for a signal.

Rey waits with bated breath, watching Zorii from afar with a pair of binoculars slung around her neck. She sucks in a sharp breath as Zorii adjusts her headset and motions with her free hand in the direction of the tree line in the distance. Rey drops the binoculars and clambers to stand on her seat, the top half of her body protruding from the Jeep top. She cups one hand around her mouth and calls out to the sky:

“Naaaaaaants ingonyaaaaaama bagiiiithi babaaaaa, hiyaaaaaaah!!!!!”

She drops back down to her seat, looking especially pleased with herself as Babu chuckles and starts up the Jeep again. She catches Ben staring at her, startled. “Zorii’s picked up the lions signal.” She explains to him.

“Do you have to do that every time?” He asks her, unamused.

“Yes.” She answers smugly with a grin. There’s that damn dimple again. He must have looked terrified at her answer because she giggles lightly. “No.” She truthfully says, leaning back into her seat as the Jeep takes off in the direction Zorii indicated. “But it makes Babu laugh, so he lets me do it.”

Babu turns slightly in the drivers seat to look at Ben. “Miss Rey make Babu feel young again!” The old man says with his gap toothed smile. Ben just frowns. Rey scoffs at his reaction.

“We try to have fun around here.” She says. “Lighten up, isilo.”

“I’m not a vulture.” Ben snaps at her. Rey’s mouth falls open slightly in surprise.

“You knew what that meant?” She questions, narrowing an eye at him.

“No. I had to look it up.” He admits angrily. Rey smirks at this. “And I’m not here for fun. I’m here to complete my thesis and graduate with my doctorate. This research is serious to me.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun once in a while.” Rey argues. “You’re in Africa. Just look at it.” She gestures out the side of the Jeep.

“I’ve been here before.” Ben grumbles. Rey snorts.

“Yeah, for research.” She answers with a sarcastic tone.

‘No, not just research.’ Ben thinks. ‘Many times before that.’

“Doesn’t matter.” He growls instead, looking away from her.

Babu drives around the trees, settling the Jeep into position with the setting sun behind them. A herd of gazelle are gathered in the distance, their tawny coats and horns distinguishing them from amongst the tall grass. Babu gets out his own pair of binoculars and scans the horizon. Zorii is back in position with the antennae. Poe seems to be more focused on her than he is the task at hand. After a few minutes Babu says something quickly to Rey in a hushed tone and she is standing up in the Jeep once more, eyes glued to her binoculars.

From this position, her torso is now level with his eyesight. Ben can’t help but notice the sliver of her toned and tanned stomach that peeks out from under the hem of her tank top as it rides up. It’s also obvious that she’s not wearing a bra under her tank top, though who would in this heat? If he had to admit it, her belly button was actually kind of cute, not that he was into that kind of thing. Besides, Rey was rude and conceited and -

Rey gasps and squeals softly, the buns on the back of her head bobbing joyously as she bounces with excitement, rocking the Jeep slightly. She turns and looks at him with the biggest grin on her face, rivalry be damned. “It’s the pride Ben! They’re here!!!” She whispers to him excitedly.

It’s like someone has flipped a switch inside him.

The pure elation on her face at the arrival of the lions has him in awe. Her eyes are shining with emotion, as if this was her first time seeing them, which he knows it isn’t. Her smile suddenly makes his heart beat faster. She is practically glowing. She is… dare he say it?

Beautiful.

He finds himself standing up next to her. She quickly removes the binoculars from around her neck and passes them to him. He takes them silently and holds them up to his face.

“Look! Over there!” She whispers, as she lays a hand on his arm, guiding which way for him to look. On the other side of the herd of gazelle a lone lioness slinks low in the grass, her pale yellow fur blending in flawlessly with her surroundings. The gazelle graze relatively unphased. Only a few raise their heads and flick their ears as their jaws work from side to side. Ben hands the binoculars back to Rey and she resumes her observations. She gives another little gasp.

“It’s Jamillia. This must mean that Apailana had her cubs.” Rey says aloud.

“Who?” Ben asks as Rey shoves the binoculars back at him. They fumble in his hands at this unexpected move and he nearly drops them. Rey furiously digs through her field bag before producing a well worn leather bound journal. She flips open to a page with a long list of names.

“The lions in the two prides I’ve been researching all have names. This is the Naboo pride.” She points to a column of names in her journal. “The pride male is Nass, though I like to call him ‘Boss’.” Rey rambles to Ben. “Naberrie is his mate. Their three daughters are Apailana, Réillata, Jamillia. I’ve been suspecting that Apailana has been pregnant for a while now, and this just proves it.” She pulls out a pen and starts scribbling in her journal before motioning at Ben with her hand. It takes him a second to realize she is requesting her binoculars back. He hands them to her and she is back up on the seat of the Jeep, leaning as far as she can get across the top beams of the vehicle with the binoculars clasped tightly in her hands. For a moment he is worried she might fall over the side of the Jeep. He shakes his head, clearing them of his thoughts.

“And how does this prove that this… Appa-” Ben starts.

“Apailana.” Rey corrects him immediately.

“Whatever. How does this prove she had cubs?”

Rey scoffs as if the answer was common knowledge and with that, the bubble that is Ben’s sudden newfound admiration of Rey pops. His eyes may have been awakened to her appealing looks, but underneath she was still the spitfire he met that morning.

“Because she is the youngest of the three.” She explains as she peeks over at Ben before proceeding to roll her eyes at his scowl. “If Jamillia is hunting, that means Réillata is watching the other cubs while the eldest focuses on her newborns.” She reiterates for him.

“Other cubs? How big is this pride anyways?”

He regrets the words as soon as they exit his mouth.

“I’m glad you asked!” Rey says, removing the binoculars from her face momentarily and she props open her journal. “The Naboo pride boasts a total of fourteen lions, approximately sixteen to seventeen with the new additions. They’re all listed here.” She passes him the journal.

“Sabé, Rabé, Eirtaé, Saché, Yané….” Ben reads aloud. “Why do they all end in ‘é’?”

“I have a system.” Rey answers. Next thing he knows she is waving a hand at him whilst simultaneously shushing him. Babu whispers something quickly to Rey and she nods her acknowledgment. “I see her.” Rey whispers.

A gazelle on the far edge of the herd suddenly bolts, causing a chain reaction. The soft thunder of hooves begins to echo across the savanna as the herd scatters to the east, the agile creatures zigzagging through the grass. Jamillia leaps out and gives chase through the herd, her legs tucking underneath her as she runs. The hunt is over in a matter of seconds. A gazelle swerves in front of her and she pounces, tumbling as she grasps at the gazelle with her front claws, the neck of the creature held in her strong jaws.

From over in the other Jeep, Poe throws his arms up in what Ben recognizes as a referees signal of a football touchdown.

The gazelle struggles, it’s spindly front legs flailing briefly before Jamillia forces her catch to the ground with a large paw, her powerful teeth sinking in with barely any effort to cease the gazelles movements. Ben has seen hyenas take down wildebeest before, but watching this lion expertly drag her kill back into the brush has his heart beating fast and his fists clenched as fleeting memories of his past are dredged up.

“Are you all right?”

It takes Ben a moment to realize Rey is talking to him. His eyes flash up to hers and the switch is flipped again. She looks worried, her focus is solely on him while she could be documenting the movements of her beloved pride member.

“I’m fine.” He finally says, looking away and back out onto the savanna. Babu starts the Jeep again and they drive off slowly in the direction the gazelle fled. 

“What do you think of Cordé or Dormé?” Rey suddenly asks, as she settles back down into her seat. 

“What?” Ben snaps.

“Names! For the new cubs!” Rey says as she waves her journal about. “Ooooh! What about Dané or Moteé?”

Ben just sighs as Rey continues to prattle on about names for the new cubs as the Jeep bounces along in pursuit of anymore sightings of the pride or any hyenas. Aside from faint echoes of their barks in the distance, the hyenas don’t emerge from the brush leaving Ben to feel disappointed and Rey, a bit smug.  
Night has fallen by the time they make it back to D’Qar station. The rangers patrolling the outer perimeter fences step aside from their post to let the Jeeps through.

“So…. You got a phone number? Email?” Poe is asking Zorii as he steps down from her Jeep upon their arrival outside the main building.

“Not in your dreams, flyboy.” Zorii says to him before peeling out of the gravel drive and off to the lot where the reserve vehicles are parked.

Poe turns around, disappointment on his face. He sees Ben and Rey staring blankly at him, both stunned by his awful attempt at flirting. “You lose 100% of the chances you don’t take!” He cheerily says to them with a shrug and a smile before stalking off towards the cabins.

Rey watches him walk away past the fire pit where the other researchers are gathered. Finn is sitting on a wooden crate with a djembe drum between his knees, his hands rhythmically slapping out the beat of ‘Baba Yetu’ as he sings along. Jannah and Rose are quick to join in singing along with Finn, their arms wrapped around each others shoulders as they sway from side to side on a log bench. Rey turns back to Ben.

“I’m going to join the others.” She says, shucking a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the fire pit. She pauses as Ben looks over where she is pointing. “Care to join me?”

He barely registers her question as a song he knows all too well reaches his ears. A song played once at a funeral, a song requested to be played by his godfather, who also was the one to sing it.

“No thanks.” Ben says before he slips past her, leaving Rey to silently - and sadly - watch him walk away.

^#^#^

The following morning, Ben is up bright and early as to avoid the embarrassment that was yesterdays breakfast. There are a few rangers under the canopy as he settles down into a picnic table by himself. His breakfast is soon interrupted by a plate being nearly slammed onto the tabletop as it’s owner settles into the seat across from him.

“Hey, you’re the hyena guy, right? I’m Rose Tico. University of Cantonica” Rose says as she extends a hand across the table for Ben to shake. Ben shakes her hand quickly. “I’ve got a favor to ask you.”

“Rose… What did I tell you?” Rey whines as she takes the seat next to Rose. Soon Ben is surrounded by the other remaining researchers as they all pile into the previously empty seats at his table.

“You said ‘don’t bother him’.” Rose says to Rey flippantly. “This is for the sake of research. It‘s not bothering if it’s research.” Rose turns back to Ben. “I’m studying scat for dietary changes due to loss of habitats.” Ben stares down at the hand he just used to shake Rose’s hand. This girl works with poop all day? Rose giggles at Ben’s startled face. “Oh don’t worry, I washed my hands.” She says as if she was reading his mind. She must get this reaction a lot. “I’ve only been out on two night runs since I’ve been here and I haven’t come across any hyena scat. Finn says you’re going out again tomorrow night. Think you can get me some? It’s not hard to find if you know what you’re looking for. Did you know-”

“That it’s white? Yes, I know what hyena poop looks like.” Ben finishes for her in an even tone.

“Of course he knows what color it is Rose, he knows everything about hyenas.” Rey says sarcastically. Their eyes meet for a moment before Rey quickly looks away. Was that a blush creeping across her face?

“That’s a really fun fact though!” Rose defends. “Did you know crocodile dung was one of the ingredients in the worlds first contraceptive?”

“Oy! Enough with the literal shit talk, I’m eating here!” the blonde man to Ben’s immediate right requests in a thick Scottish accent. The man extends a hand to Ben. “Beaumont Kin. Ahch-To Tech. Don’t let this one trick you into helping her.” He nods at Rose. “You wouldn’t catch me handling shit, no matter what color it is.” Rose childishly sticks her tongue out at Beaumont and he just laughs it off.

“Beaumont and Kaydel work with tagging and numbering the animals for tracking.” Rey explains to Ben, nodding to Beaumont and the blonde girl on Beaumont’s right. Kaydel gives Ben a small wave before returning to her yogurt cup. “Snap and Jessika are studying the matriarchal hierarchy in elephants.”

“Nice to meet you.” Snap says, nodding to Ben from his left. Jessika reaches across the table from next to Rey and shakes Ben’s hand.

“So? Think you can help me out?” Rose asks pointedly. 

All eyes are on Ben as the entire table awaits his answer. He felt conflicted. Why did Rey not want Rose to talk to him? That irked him more than he cared to admit. Did Rey find him _that_ off putting that she was determined to make his stay here even more unpleasant than it already was turning out to be? Brushing his internal musings aside, he merely shrugs a shoulder in response. “All right I guess.” He mumbles. Rose grins in response. He glances at Rey and she is staring hard at him with a frown as if she had read his thoughts.

“Hey! It’s a party!” Poe interrupts, sauntering up to their table with a grin and a full breakfast plate. “Make room for me!”

“You can have my spot. I was just leaving.” Ben grunts as he stands up and takes his plate and silverware with him. He walks over to the water pump to rinse his dish when he’s interrupted for the second time that morning.

“I told her not to ask you.” Rey says, her arms folding defensively across her chest. She’s wearing another white tank with gray capris this morning and her hair is partially let down, resting just past her shoulders. 

“It’s fine.” Ben says, tossing his clean dishes into the Rubbermaid tub where the plates and cutlery were stored and walking away. Rey follows him.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t want her to.” Rey clarifies as she increased her pace to catch up with his long strides. “I know how important your research is to you. I didn’t want her to take you away from your work with a silly errand.”

“How thoughtful of you.” Ben snarks as he continues his way back to his cabin.

“You’re welcome!” Rey snaps sarcastically to him. He skids to a halt in the dirt and turns to her. She nearly runs into him at his sudden stop. Rey stares up at him and Ben stares down at her. Rey’s chest heaves up and down slightly with adrenaline.

“Is that all?” He asks her lowly, inching closer to her. He sees her eyes flit over his looming figure before they snap up to meet his almost predatory gaze.

“Y… Yes.” She says, unsure at first before nodding her head firmly.

Still, they continued to stare each other down, standing barely a foot apart for several moments. A pair of rangers walk past on their way back from the mess hall, glancing over at them curiously. Coming to their senses, they each took a step back from each other with Ben loudly clearing his throat as Rey shyly looked down at the ground.

“So uh… Are you close with Rose?” Ben can’t help but ask. Rey’s head snaps up from where she was intently staring at a particularly large rock in the dirt.

“Yeah. We’re friends. All the researchers here are my friends.” She says. Momentarily her eyes grow wide as she realizes what she just said. He could feel the tips of his ears grow warm underneath his hair. Did she really consider him a friend? Surely if she did, she wouldn’t be trying to sabotage his stay. 

“She’s my cabin mate.” Rey added, quickly changing the subject. “Kaydel and Jessika share a cabin, as do Snap and Beaumont.”

“Ah. I… I see…” Ben says, nodding as he trailed off.

“So… Yeah.” Rey said, scuffing the toe of her boot in the dirt. “If you’re able to help her out… I know she’d really appreciate it.”

Ben nods again, still trying to wrap his head around the mystery that was this girl. Rey was stubborn and hot headed, passionate and intelligent, kind and loyal. She was radiant and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her, like a moth to a flame.

“I’ll see what I can do.” He says before turning again and walking back to his cabin, thankfully un-followed this time.

Three days later at breakfast, Ben drops a Ziploc bag of hyena dung on the picnic table in front of Rose, much to her delight and Beaumont’s chagrin. He meets Rey’s grateful gaze and she mouths ‘Thank you’ to him followed by a small smile, gracing him with a glimpse of her dimple. His mouth barely twitches at the corner before he nods to her and heads off towards the buffet line.

“Tch! And you thought he was a jerk.” Rose says to Rey as she clutches the Ziploc bag to her chest as if its contents were precious jewels. “I like him.” She adds with a whisper.

Rey stares off after Ben, smile still lingering on her face. “Me too.” She agrees.

^#^#^

Since then, things between Rey and Ben were decidedly less tense. In the weeks that followed, if they weren’t out on the reserve, they could be found note swapping at one of the umbrella tables set up outside the makeshift lab, a converted shed with a greenhouse built onto the back of it.

Rey had begun to take notes on any hyenas she happened to spot while out on the reserve during the day runs, Ben and Poe having opted to take most of their trips into the park in the evenings. When they weren’t out gathering research, Ben still tended to be a bit withdrawn around the other researchers, despite their best efforts to include him in the goings on around the camp. But there was something about Rey that helped open him up, even just a little, as their time at Takodana went on. They still argued - quite often and usually loudly - over which predator was the better one, their passion for their research a shared factor contributing to their stubbornness.

Finn approached Rey outside the lab where she sat surrounded by journals and her laptop. Her hair buns sagged in the heat and she squints at her laptop screen, swapping between typing and occasionally crossing out points in her journal.

“How goes the thesis?” Finn asked, settling himself across from her. Rey sighs, tossing down her pen.

“Frustrating!” Rey groaned. “The Kenobi Pride has had no activity since my first week here, and the Naboo pride sightings have been few and far between. How can I report on their differences when they’re all a bunch of a lazy housecats?”

Finn smiles and leans his elbows on the table. “Well, you’ll be happy to hear I have some good news for you.”

“Oh?” Rey asked.

“Yes. For you and the two hyena boys. Speaking of which…” Finn trails off as both Ben and Poe approached the table, each hefting their field bags, having just returned from a trip onto the reserve.

“Hey Rey, Hey Finn!” Poe greeted, dropping his field bag on the table. “How’s it going down? South of the equator? Ha ha!”

Finn grimaces at Poe’s awful joke. “I was just about to tell Rey some good news I had for the three of you.” Finn says as he addresses them. “As a symbol of goodwill, the Pasaana tribe has extended an invitation to allow you to stay at their village overnight following your afternoon expedition inside the park.”

“The who?” Poe asks.

“Natives that live within the reserve.” Rey explains.

“Yes. This is a great honor.” Finn continues. “The people are Pasaana are celebrating the Festival Of The Ancestors, which is only held every forty two years.”

“Wow. Forty two? That’s oddly specific.” Poe comments. “Hoo-boy, it’s a real scorcher today isn’t it?” He says, brushing the back of his hand against his forehead. “I’m going to grab some water from inside the lab real quick.” He excuses himself, leaving Ben alone with Rey and Finn.

“I uh… I have something for you.” Ben says quietly to Rey, almost shy as Finn was still there at the table. Ben pulls a long lens camera out of his field bag, turning it around so he could share the digital screen with Rey. He flips through a couple of pictures before landing on the one he was looking for in particular before handing the camera to her.

Rey squints at the small window of the camera before gasping. “It’s the cubs! You saw them?”

“Just barely.” Ben says. “That’s the only good shot I could get, but I do believe there are two.”

“This is great Ben!” Rey says, smiling as she zoomed in on the digital screen. “I was at a stalemate with my thesis, but this helps so much!” She turns to look at Ben. “Thank you.” She says. “I-”

Rey is cut off by Poe emerging from the lab, practically stumbling out the door, looking green around the gills. He clamps a hand over his mouth momentarily before leaning down and vomiting into the dirt. 

“Poe! Are you okay?” Rey asks, standing up to go check on him. Rose burst out of the lab seconds later.

“Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I knew I shouldn’t have left that sample out!” Rose apologizes profusely, reaching over to pat Poe on the back as he hunches over, hands on his knees, occasionally spitting on the ground.

“What happened?” Finn asks Rose.

“Oh, he grabbed the water sample I had sitting out by accident.”

“What kind of water sample?” Rey asks eyebrows furrowing with concern.

“From the watering hole.” Rose sheepishly admits.

“The watering hole?!” Rey practically shouts. Rose winces.

“I know! I’m sorry! I was working on filtering the samples and-”

Poe interrupts Rose as he retches again. Rey clamps a hand over her mouth, afraid she would be sick herself.

“I’ve got to go.” Poe mumbles quickly before he starts speed walking in the directions of the cabins.

“Poe! Wait!” Rose calls, hurrying after him. “Can you log your symptoms for me? Any diarrhea? Headaches? Excessive sweating? Poe? Poe!” 

With Rose and Poe out of sight, Finn turns to Ben and Rey and sighs, shrugging his shoulders. “Well, I guess it’s the two of you going then.” He says. He reaches into the interior of his ranger jacket, pulling out two small canisters of pepper spray, each connected to a carabineer. “Here.” He says as he hands each of them a canister. “The village is partially open to the savanna, so you’ll need to keep this on your person at all times. Got it?”

“Yes sir!” Rey answers, playfully saluting Finn. Ben nods in reply.

“Good.” Finn says, nodding in return. “Your ride leaves first thing in the morning.”

Babu escorts them across the savanna. Rey and Babu sing more African folk songs along the way. As they approach Pasaana, Ben can see a half wall made of bamboo circling the backside of the village, the straw roofs of the huts jutting over the top. A group of children in traditional red robes race out to run alongside the Jeep, clearly excited over their visitors.

As soon as Rey exits the Jeep, the children swarm her. They touch her pale skin in awe, fingers trailing curiously over her strange (to them) clothing.

“Hello there.” Rey says as she crouches down to speak to a little girl in a blue wrap dress. “Ungubanu igama lakho? She asks. 

The girl shyly smiles at Rey. “Nambi Ghima!” She answers.

Ben must have been too intimidating for the children. A group of them scattering back into the village as he hefts the canvas bundles that contain their tents out of the Jeep, carrying one in each hand. 

“Hukana nawe!” Comes a strict voice. The children surrounding Rey run off, squealing and laughing as a short elderly woman approaches. The woman’s dark skin is wrinkled with age and she wears a massive white turban and a flowing white robe. Her eyes are beady and bright.

“Welcome!” The woman says. “I am Maz Kanata, the elder of the Pasaana tribe.” Maz gestures to the village behind her with a swoop of her arm. 

“I’m Rey. This is Ben.” Rey says. “Thank you so much for allowing us to stay at your village. Finn tells us it is a great honor to have been invited.”

Maz laughs. “And he is correct! The Festival of the Ancestors is very important to the people of Pasaana. There will be a celebration tonight once you return from your research, so I suggest you get set up quickly.”

Once their two tents were erected on the far side of the village, a tribesman by the name of Jo-Dapshi took them out into the savanna on foot. Jo-Dapshi walked with a large stick carved from a quiver tree. He explained the stick was for distracting any lions they may encounter while out on the reserve. Ben wasn’t so keen on a piece of wood as their only defense, so he kept a hand around his pepper spray clipped to his belt for most of the walk. They were able to observe several zebra as well as a small herd of elephants from afar, but the closest they came to finding a carnivore was the very bloated carcass of a water buffalo, obviously the victim of a lion.

Dusk was settling in when they arrived back at Pasaana and several tribeswomen ushered them to sit on a giant baobab log that faced a roaring campfire over which a warthog was being cooked. They were served a traditional South African meal of ‘Pap en vleis’, cooked and seasoned meat with porridge made from maize. The children of the tribe laughed beneath their hands as they watched Ben and Rey eat, no doubt finding joy in the apprehensive bites Ben was taking more so than Rey’s lack of table manners, as she messily ripped up her chapati bread and dipped it in her porridge.

After they finish eating, the children gather around Maz, sitting cross legged on the ground as she tells them the story of the first Aki Aki festival. Once the story is finished they are sent to bed, some of the children waving to Rey as they are ushered off to their huts with their mothers. Maz walks up to where Ben and Rey sit.

“To witness the Aki Aki Festival, you must be blessed as honorary members of the Pasaana tribe first.” Maz tells them. “But first, we must decide on your title.”

“Title?” Rey asks, confused.

Maz nods. “A title earned, a clan formed.” She recites. “As the village elder, I will decide which title to bestow.” She begins to pace back and forth in front of them as they sit on the log, thoughtfully humming to herself with her tiny eyes trained on both of them. She stops in front of Ben, looking him and down briefly before issuing a sad smile. 

“When you’ve lived as long as I have, you see the same eyes in different people.” She says. Maz steps closer, squinting her eyes at Ben as she reaches a hand under his chin to tilt his head up, forcing him to look at her. “I see the eyes… Of a guilty man.” Bens eyes widen at Maz’s words. Maz shakes her head sadly. “Dear child… The guilt you feel is misplaced! You already know its truth. A thousand generations live in you now.”

Maz steps back from Ben and beckons at one of the tribeswomen. The woman hands Maz a fan made of dried leaves and hornbill feathers. She waves the fan in the air in a circular motion over Ben’s head and chants. “Night! And the spirit of life! It calls - iyo, mamela. And the voice with the fear of a child asking - iyo, mamela. Wait! There's no mountain too great. Hear these words and have faith. Have faith! They live in you. They live in me. They're watching over everything we see. In every creature, in every star. In your reflection, they live in you.” 

A few members of the tribe repeats after Maz, chanting; “Hela hey mamela, hela hey mamela.”

“He lives in you!” Maz now shouts, pointing a finger into Ben’s chest. “He lives in me.” She points to herself. “He watches over everything we see.” She gestures at the sky, shaking her fan. “Into the waters, into the truth. In your reflection, he lives in you.” She lowers her arms. “Do you understand what I am saying my child?” Maz asks Ben.

Ben swallows thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Composing himself, he nods once in understanding.  
“Yes.” He answers, his voice barely above a whisper. He rises from the baobab log and walks off, his head hanging low.

Rey glances over at Maz, her worried eyes imploring for an explanation. Maz smiles knowingly at her with her beady eyes. “Dear child, the belonging you seek is not behind you, it is ahead.” Maz tells her. She nods her turbaned head in the direction Ben left. “Go to him.”

^#^#^

Ben stands tense at the edge of the camp, his arms firmly crossed across his chest as he stares up at the night sky. It is clear tonight. The view of the stars is unobstructed by clouds. It reminds him of many nights from his youth and the vast expanse of it makes him feel small. A twig snaps somewhere behind him and his hand snaps to his waist for his pepper spray as he turns his head.

“It’s me!” Rey says, holding up her hands in surrender as she slowly walks towards him. “Don’t shoot.”

Ben relaxes his hand and turns back away from her. He feels her sidle up next to him. She mimics him by crossing her arms across her chest. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” She asks as she gazes up at the stars.

“Mmm.” Ben replies through pressed lips.

The air is thick between them and Ben can tell she is itching to question him about what Maz said. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asks him quietly. “I… I’m a good listener.” She hesitantly adds. Ben does not respond, yet Rey does not leave. He eventually sighs, his shoulders dipping.

“Where do I start?” He bemoans.

“How about the beginning?” Rey suggests.

Ben takes in a deep breath and exhales. “I mentioned I’ve been to Africa before.” He starts. Rey nods her head in remembrance. “My grandfather came to Africa at a young age. When he grew up, he wanted to become the Game Warden up at the Mustafar reserve. So, he worked his way up in the field. Nearly got the job too, but he… Became involved with the wrong kind of people…. Poachers.”

He pauses, waiting for her reaction. There is none. She looks up at him calmly as she waits for him to continue, so he does. “It started out with him turning over information of certain animals whereabouts so the poachers knew where to strike. Then he…. He became one himself. He ended up being killed in a shootout between the police and the other poachers. My mother and her twin brother were infants when it happened.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Rey mutters, hanging her head slightly.

“My grandmother moved to the States shortly afterwards. Years later, my mother insisted in coming back here. She claims she feels drawn here. Says it’s an unseen force - calling her. She followed in her fathers original footsteps in studying conservation and took an internship up at the Alderaan reserve. That’s where she met my father, an American smuggler of all people. My mother caught him sneaking pelts onto a convoy. Nearly beat his ass for it.” He chuckles lightly, as he imagines what that scene must have looked like. “It’s their meeting that turned his life around. He took up her cause and became a ranger protecting the reserve. Then my mother got offered a job teaching at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C. So… They left Africa. Got married. Had me.”

He glances down at Rey, who had been hanging onto every word he has shared. “So… You want to finish what your grandfather started? To become a Game Warden?” She asks, tilting her head to the side curiously.

Ben runs a nervous hand through his hair. He’s never shared this much information about his life before, let alone with someone he’s known for a short matter of time. “Yes and no.” He says, crossing his arms once more. “Yes, I’d like to follow in my grandfather and my mothers footsteps… But… I almost abandoned all that when….” Ben trails off, his throat becoming tight.

“When what?” Rey asks softly. He turns to look at her again. She has inched ever so closer to him, her shoulder is nearly touching his right bicep. Her wide eyes practically glisten in the light of the moon overhead, soft and understanding. Those brilliant hazel eyes of hers have never looked more beautiful than they do now, and Ben has never felt more compelled to open up.

“When my father died.” Ben answers lowly.

He breaks their gaze and looks down at the ground. He kicks at the grass to distract himself momentarily. “We would come to Africa when I was younger, on family vacations. Dad liked to hunt, and he still had some friends over here who would take us out on safari, including my godfather - Lando. One day, Lando took us out into the savanna. I’m still not quite sure what went wrong…” His eyebrows furrow as he recalls that fateful day. He can feel his pulse quicken at the memory and he clenches and unclenches his fists nervously. “I was fifteen when it happened. We were trekking through the grass into the tree line to position ourselves to hunt the gazelle and… I was attacked.”

Rey gasps next to him and her hands fly up to cover her mouth. “Was it a-” She falters, unable to finish her sentence fearing his answer.

“No, it wasn’t a lion.” He answers for her. “Leopard.”

“So…. The scar?” She whispers as her teary eyes trace his face.

Ben gives a short nod, silently confirming her question. “My dad tackled the beast off me, literally tackled it. Lando shot it dead, but it was too late for my father. His wounds were too deep and we were too far away from the closest hospital and….”

“Oh Ben, I’m so sorry.” Rey says, placing a gentle hand on his arm. A tear rolls down her cheek. “But Maz is right! The guilt you feel _is_ misplaced. You didn’t cause your father’s death. It was a tragic accident. It wasn’t your fault!”

Ben shifts his weight from foot to foot and Rey removes her hand, afraid her touch has made him uncomfortable. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me but… It’s hard to not feel that way sometimes. For the longest time I couldn’t bring myself to come back here. But as I got older, I too, felt the call to return. That unseen force my mother spoke of.” He sighs deeply, uncrossing his arms only to shove his hands deep in his pants pockets. “Following the advice from a therapist, I took the leap and came back to confront my fears and went on a guided safari tour. I learned that some animals - such as leopards - when they are sick, injured, or experiencing loss of habitat and can’t hunt like they normally would, can resort to attacking humans. After that it was clear I had to dedicate myself to protecting wildlife, so that what happened to my father… Won’t happen again.”

“That’s very ambitious.” Rey says. She looks down at the grass and nudges at a root with her foot, fidgeting. “Ben?”

“Yes?” He turns his head to look at her. She bites down on her bottom lip, hesitating.

“Can I tell you something?” She asks quickly.

The way she is looking up at him makes his heart skip a beat and his palms begin to sweat. This feels important, and it’s the least he could do after she listened to him, so kind and so patient.

“Of course.” He says, trying his best not to let his voice waver with his nerves. Her shoulders raise as she takes in a deep breath in preparation to speak.

“You’re not the only one with a grandfather with a troubled past.” She reveals. One of Ben’s eyebrows raises slightly with mild shock and curiosity.

“Oh?” He finds himself saying. Rey nods, her lips pressed together in a thin line. Ben gets the feeling this is something she doesn’t share with just anyone. Almost like a secret for a secret. Their secrets.

“My last name is Palpatine.” She says.

“Palpatine?” Ben repeats, eyebrows furrowing as he tries to place the familiar name. “As in… Sheev Palpatine of Empire Ports ?”

“Yes. He made most of his money by siding with poachers under the table. He would turn a blind eye to the poachers using the port to ship their kills outside of the country. They’d give him a portion of the profits in exchange for his silence. And with the prices of the sales through the black market…”

She trails off and Ben nods in understanding. “That’s…. A lot of money.” Ben murmurs.

“It gets worse.” She adds. “Next came the weapons. He gave the poachers access to illegal firearms that passed through the port via the same channels they used to export the pelts. Guns with night vision scopes, the latest technologies, so that the poachers could still get their shot from a farther distance, making it harder for park rangers to stop them.” She turns to look at Ben. 

“My grandfather was a horrible, horrible person. He cut off all contact with his only child, my father, for not wanting anything to do with the ‘family business’.” Ben can see tears well up in Rey’s eyes in the moonlight. “With his family reputation shattered, my father struggled to find work because no one wanted to hire him. I grew up very poor. My parents passed away when I was young. My father took to drinking, and my mother fell ill shortly after he died. My grandfather took me in, yet I was left to my own devices most of the time. You could say I raised myself. Though once he died I did get t a sizeable inheritance, which I used to enroll in University for a career in conservation. Bastard is probably rolling in his grave, all that money he earned from the illegal treatment of animals now being used to help protect them.” She issues him a small smile. “You’re not alone in the guilt you feel over your family.” She says.

Ben’s mouth twitches into a shy smile in return. “Neither are you.” He tells her.

There are shouts directed at them from back inside the village, one of the tribesmen waves his hand at them, motioning them back to the campfire. “Aki-Aki! Shesha!” He was saying.

“What’s he saying?” Ben asks, looking at Rey for an explanation.

“Aki-Aki! The ceremony!” She says, her face splitting into a grin. “Come on!” She grabs a hold of his wrist and pulls him back towards camp before he can protest. 

“Sit!!! Sit, sit, sit!” Maz quickly instructs them as they approach the campfire. Members of the tribe have now donned elaborate headpieces and jewelry, all hand made and crafted from plants, feathers and animal bones. Some have white tribal markings painted on their dark skin. Ben and Rey settle back down onto the baobab log as Maz babbles something to a tribeswoman. She is soon supplied with 3 wooden bowls filled with white, blue, and red paint.

“You are now honorary members of the Pasaana tribe.” Maz says to them as she dips her fingers into on of the bowls of paint. She takes Rey’s arm by a wrinkled hand and proceeds to paint a quick series of lines and arrows in blue paint down Rey’s arm. She repeats the process on Rey’s other arm and adds a few quick swipes of white on Rey’s cheeks before moving onto Ben. He is decorated with the red paint on his arms and receives the same brushes of white on his face. Maz takes each of their hands and pulls them into standing. Ben looks over at Rey and smirks.

“We match.” He comments, holding out his arm to her.

“It is the sign of the abathandi.” Maz says proudly. “Your tribe recognizes you as such.”

Rey goes pale in the firelight.

“What? Maz, no -” Rey tries to say to the old woman, her face flushing from embarrassment.

“I have spoken!” Maz declares with a shout, raising her paint covered hands to the heavens. “This is the way! Nansi indlela!”

“Nansi indela!” Echoes the tribe.

“What’s ‘abathandi‘?” Ben asks Rey, confused.

Rey whirls to Ben and opens her mouth to speak but the start of beating drums, the rattle of gourd shakers, and clanging of iron bells combined with rhythmic chanting cuts her off as the Aki-Aki celebration begins.

The tribe forms a circle around the campfire, dancing to the tune of the tribal music being played. They stomp their feet in time to the drum beats as they hold their arms out to their sides, swinging them back and forth. A step forward in a lunge, arms swinging more wildly now, wrists twisting as they raise their arms up above their heads - a motion that praises their ancestors that have passed on into the world beyond. The next move - a step back, shoulders held aloft as the arm swinging continues. The tribe now steps side to side, hips swaying before hopping from foot to foot and then returning to their original stance, now swinging their arms from back to front.

The moves are thus repeated. Maz has since climbed onto the baobab log and is chanting as she stomps her feet, shakes her head, and raises her palms to the sky. Rey is pulled into the circle by a tribeswoman, and even though her position in the tribe is merely honorary, it would be considered rude not to participate. The tribeswoman slows her steps so that Rey can attempts to learn the movements of the traditional dance of the ancestors. Her steps are awkward and she is horribly off with her timing, but she attempts the dance with a smile on her face regardless. She glances across the camp fire where Ben is struggling to tell a tribesman that no, he doesn’t dance. He is fervently shaking his head and waving his arms in a cross motion meaning ‘no’ but the tribesman does not understand.

“No, no, no!” Rey can hear the tribesman say to Ben. “Like this!” He waves his arms in the correct fashion of the dance and motions Ben to do the same. Ben hangs his head briefly, likely sighing with frustration before unenthusiastically copying the hand motions while the rest of him remains still.

“Come on Ben!” Rey calls to him as she swings her arms at her sides, looking more like she is trying to swim in the air compared to the graceful movements of the tribe members as she weaves back and forth. “Live a little!”

Ben shuffles his feet, barely moving as he continues to mimic the hand gestures.

“That’s it!” Rey shouts to him again, grinning from ear to ear. She briefly trips over her feet and resumes her dancing, now looking like a bird about to take flight. She knows she must look silly, but she laughs it off as she raises her hands to the sky in celebration. Ben keeps watch on her, lightly bobbing his knees as his gawky movements increase in speed. They lock eyes across the fire and he playfully mimics her off kilter movements. She throws her head back and laughs at his display and Ben can’t help but smile in return, his own cheek creasing with his crooked grin. Her eyes are bright with admiration and her cheeks are flushed beneath the stripes of white. They continue to ridiculously prance about, no longer caring about the tribal choreography, just blissful and carefree, as if they were in their own little world. This dance is for them.

A whooping cheer from the tribe breaks the spell surrounding them as the music swiftly changes. Rey and Ben both take a step back from the tribe as just the men launch into another traditional dance around the fire while the women watch and chant. Rey makes her way around the crowd and up to Ben. His face is flushed and his hair is a bit disheveled from his haphazard movements.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” She says to him, smiling as she tilts her face up to look at him. 

“Yeah…” He says slowly as he observes the rest of the tribe. He looks down at her and smiles again. “It was.”

Her gaze is soft and warm and he is reminded of the moment from their first trek into the reserve when everything changed regarding his thoughts of her.

“I just wanted to thank you for sharing your history with me.” She says gently. “That was very brave of you, what you did.”

“What do you mean?” he asks, confused. Rey shrugs and gestures around them.

“Coming back here after what happened to you and your father… Picking up the pieces. Achieving your dreams in his memory. I… I don’t know if I could do the same if I had that happen to me.” She smiles up at him and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say it almost looked as if she was proud of him. 

“It isn’t always easy.” He says as he lightly shrugs. “There’s always that nagging in the back of my mind that something could happen again, but I tend to keep those thoughts under control most of the time.”

“Were you thinking about that when we saw Jamillia take down that gazelle?” She inquires. 

Ben’s ears warm under his hair again with embarrassment. “You noticed?” Rey looks away sheepishly. “Yes, like that.” He confirms.

“I’ve still wondered why you chose to study hyenas.” She says 

“They’re fascinating creatures.” He says, shrugging again. “They’re smaller than lions yet they can still hold their own against them.”

“Most the of the time.” Rey corrects. He rolls his eyes playfully.

“Fine. MOST of the time. Their snouts are small but they have jaws and teeth powerful enough to chew bone. That’s what gives their scat the white color, calcium from bones.” Rey giggles, hearing Ben talk about hyena poop. “And…. maybe I see myself in them a little.” He admits shyly.

“They do have big ears….” Rey mumbles. Ben shoots her a surprised look and she laughs again.

“It’s okay, I like them.” She quickly clarifies. Ben is momentarily stunned at her confession. Does she mean hyena ears? His? Both? “So what exactly do you see in them?”

Ben composes himself and purses his plush lips as he thinks on it. “Well, hyenas are greatly underestimated. They’re considered cowardly and timid, which is why so many people think they only scavenge for their food. But they’re actually very bold and intimidating, which is why they’re a lions fiercest competitor.”

Rey nods in understanding. “I think I get it.” She says. She pauses for a moment. “I definitely underestimated you when we first me.” She admits.

Ben snorts. “You can say that again. You hated me.”

“No.” Rey shakes her head. “Never hate.”

He feels his face warm and he turns his head away slightly so that Rey won’t see. “Anyways.” He says, hurriedly changing the subject. “When I first came back to Africa I saw three Hyenas chase a leopard off from their kill, so there’s that, too.”

Rey bursts out laughing at this and Ben can’t help but smile more. Her smile and her laugh are infectious and he revels in the way her eyes shine at him.

“You never got a chance to tell me what ‘abathandi’ means.” Ben says once Rey stops laughing. He holds his tribal marked arm out to her. Her eyes dart over the paint markings on his extended arm before glancing down at her own.

“Oh! Um…”

“It’s nothing bad is it?” He questions further when Rey hesitates to answer. “Like isilo?”

“Definitely not.” Rey shakes her head. “Well, not really. It depends.” 

“Depends?”

“Abathandi means ‘lovers’.” Rey blurts out, her face flushing once more and she tries to ignore the startled look on Ben’s face. “So if you’re offended by that then yes, I guess it’s considered bad.”

“O…. Oh.” Ben says slowly as he ignores the rising heat in his face as he stares down intently at the paint on his arms. “I don’t think it’s bad…. Do you?” He raises his head to look at Rey. She shakes her head, the tendrils of loose hair framing her face quivering with the movement.

“No….. No I don’t.” She nearly whispers.

“Oh.”

“Well… Um… I think I’m going to head to my tent for the night.” Rey states, pointing behind her in the direction of their respective tents.

“Oh. Okay…Well… Goodnight then.” Ben says, unsure why she felt the need to tell him this. Rey’s smile falters slightly.

“Goodnight.” She eventually says. She turns and walks over to her tent, glancing back at him before slipping away inside.

^#^#^

Ben watches Rey slip inside her tent. As soon as she is out of sight he is reeling over what just transpired between them. Opening up to each other, whispering harbored secrets side by side under the stars, the dance around the fire, their confessions, the mention of her going to her tent, the _abathandi_. Christ, Rey had been flirting with him! She practically invited him to her tent and he just stood there like a fool thinking she was tired.

He was off in a half walk, half jog to her tent before he could even think to stop himself. He ducks his lofty frame through the flap in her tent. She whirls around at his intrusion, a lit camping lantern in hand.

“Ben!” She says, somewhat startled.

They stare at each other, feet apart, Ben’s head still tucked due the height of the tent.

“I could have been a predator.” He says, breaking the silence. She slowly sets down the lantern on the floor of the tent next to an unrolled sleeping bag.

“But you’re not.” Rey points out as she walks past him and reaches to secure the zipper of the tent.

She turns to him, now inches apart. “You’re an idiot.” She tells him.

“Rey… I….” Ben says, faltering over his words.

“A smart idiot.” She adds as she reaches up a hand to trace the scar that cuts across his face, thumb skimming over the white paint. “But still an idiot.”

With that said she pulls his face down to hers and crashes her lips against his. Her hand is splayed tight to his cheek as his hand reaches up to cup the back of her head, cradling her neck as he pulls her close. The kiss seems to last forever before Rey finally pulls back. She stares at him with curious eyes, gauging his reaction. At last, his face splits into the same crooked grin he gave her across the fire, his cheek creasing happily under her palm.

“Ben…” She whispers breathlessly before he leans down to silence her with another kiss, one fueled by a fiery passion. Her arms wrap around his neck as his arms encircle her slim waist. Several heated kisses in, Rey opens her mouth to him, slipping in her tongue as she deepens the kiss. Ben groans at the motion, hands grasping at her waist. 

They slightly stumble backwards as they both lean on each other and they break apart long enough for Rey to lie down on top of the sleeping bag. She holds fast to one of Ben’s hands as she lowers herself onto the cool fabric, pulling Ben down with her. There is a flurry of movement as Rey’s hands rake through Ben’s inky black waves as he hovers over her, his knees on either side of her legs.

“I’ve thought about this for a while.” She admits through bated breath as Ben trails kisses down the side of her neck to the curve in her shoulder.

“Yeah?” He huskily asks as his hands bunch up the fabric of her tank top at her hips, his thumbs grazing the soft skin of her stomach underneath.

“Yes.” She answers, sucking in a deep breath as Ben’s hand ghosts across her torso under her shirt. “Even though I thought you were a complete jerk at the time, I saw the way you looked at me.”

“Looked at you?” Ben echoed as his free hand moves to trace the curve of her ass.

“That first day, on the reserve. In the Jeep. Staring at my tits with those intense eyes of yours.”

Ben can feel his face flush and he buries his head in her shoulder, gently planting kisses as he hides there.

“I’ll admit it.“ He whispers after a moment. “You’re very stubborn, but very nice to look at.”

Rey softly giggles underneath him. “I could say the same thing about you.” She all but purrs. She leans up slightly and speaks directly in his ear, “Do you know how hard it is to touch yourself at night when you’re sharing a cabin?”

Of course he knows all too well about that. Even though Poe could probably sleep through an elephant stampeding through the camp, that didn’t mean that Ben hadn’t been nervous that his roommate might suddenly wake during the few times he had relieved himself over thoughts of Rey.

“Fuck.” He groans, his cock throbbing hard within his pants, straining against the zipper to be freed. He leans back as Rey sits up and pulls her tank top up and over her head. Her pert breasts were just as perfect as he had imagined and he didn’t hesitate when it came to lowering his mouth to them, swirling his tongue around a dusty pink nipple. Rey leans her head back and sighs, running her hands through his hair once again, tugging slightly when he takes a nipple between his teeth and lightly pulls.

“Did you think of this when you touched yourself?” He growls.

“Ye… Yes.” Rey pants as Ben fits one of her breasts in his entire palm, squeezing as he draws his mouth and attention to her other breast, as to not neglect it. Rey’s fingernails dig into his shoulder as he sucks hard on her nipple, releasing it with a wet pop.

“How did you touch yourself?” He asks as he pulls away, his hands trailing down from her breasts to the top of her shorts. Those too short shorts of hers. Did she know what they did to him? She probably did judging by their current situation. She leans back on the sleeping bag as Ben trails kisses from her collarbone, through the valley between her breasts, down to that cute little belly button of hers. His fingers hover over the buttons of her shorts and she takes over. Ben removes his tee shirt and tosses it to the side as Rey lifts her hips off the bag and shimmies her shorts off, kicking them across the tent.

“Did you touch yourself like this?” Ben asks her as he runs a hand up her leg, caressing the skin at the meat of her thighs, right below her apex. He allows his fingertips to brush against her core through the silk of her underwear and he can already feel she is damp.

“A little more than that.” She breathes with a laugh. He smirks up at her and she grins cheekily back. He glances down at his hand where it lies and back up at her again. She bites her lip before nodding her approval. He peels back her panties with a calculated speed, switching between making contact and brushing kisses along her inner thighs as he inches the garment down her legs before discarding them into the growing pile of clothes on the tent floor.

“Like this?” He tries again, slowly sliding one thick finger inside her. She smirks back and quickly shakes her head. 

“Not quite.” He quirks an eyebrow at her before adding a second finger. She breathily gasps at the sensation.

“Yes. Like that.” She finally whispers, hands gripping at the crisp fabric beneath her as Ben curls his fingers upwards inside her, causing her to moan softly. He continues his ministrations, flexing his fingers occasionally, causing her to gasps between moans. The air practically crackles around them with the mounting pleasure.

Ben is now replacing his hand with his mouth, lowering himself down to taste her. 

“Oooh! OH!” Rey squeals.

He licks up the length of her core, swirling the tip of his tongue briefly over her clit before using his skilled mouth to suck on both her folds at the same time. Her hands find their way back into his hair, gripping forcefully as his tongue laps inside her throbbing cunt. Rey bucks her hips into his face, one hand clawing at his shoulder, the other still twisted in his hair as the antics of his tongue increases.

“Ben… I…” Rey gasps from above him. “Please… I…”

He understands the words she fails to say within her state of bliss. He briefly swipes the back of his hand over his mouth as he quickly stands to shed his pants before being struck by the painful realization that he did not come prepared.

“What is it?” Rey asks, slightly sitting up on her elbows.

“I uh….” Ben says, looking around the discarded pile of clothes as if a condom would appear magically in one of the pockets in this time of dire need. “I don’t-”

“I have an implant.” Rey says, reading his panicked expression.

“Oh FUCK!” Ben groans out, trying not to come at the mere thought of going about this raw. He shucks off his boxer briefs and kneels down in front of Rey. She stares down with wide eyes between his legs at his rock hard cock, stiff, red, swollen, and ready. She is pleased with what she sees and he feels his chest fill with pride.

“On your back.” Rey quickly demands, shifting herself around on the sleeping bag.

He doesn’t have to be told twice. The fabric is warm from where she was laying and the pillow is soft as he leans his long frame back. His feet extend hilariously past the edge of the sleeping bag but he doesn’t have much time to reflect on that as Rey lowers herself between his legs. Her knees dig into the sleeping bag on either of him, bracing herself with one hand on his chest, the other reaching back to grip his thick member. He breathes in sharply through his teeth as her hand wraps around his length, willing himself not to embarrass himself at just her touch.

She guides him in between her dampened folds, rocking slowly back and forth until he fills her to the brim. He pulls his legs up and plants his feet back on the sleeping back, boxing her in with his knees. He lifts his hips off the floor and thrusts hard up into her as Rey moves her hips in time to his motions. She leans down to kiss him, tasting hints of herself on his lips. Her hands splay against his chest and he grips her hips with his strong hands, sinking his fingers in with each sated breath they share.

Though the tribal music continues to plays outside the tent, Rey manages to control the volume of her moans, especially as the speed and pleasure of their rhythmic motions increase as they move inside of each other. She rises and falls on his member, now slick with her arousal. She pants his name in almost a chant. Their hands are clasped together, fingers laced, as Rey reaches her climax. Ben breathes heavily as his release shortly follows, her name spilling across his lips as he does so. Still astride him, she looks down at him with a sultry gaze and smiles.

“That was….” Ben trails off from beneath her, arms stretched behind his head, unable to finish his words, his muscular chest slightly heaving as he catches his breath.

“Yes… It was.” Rey laughs softly. She rolls off him and rummages in her duffel for a towel as Ben lays back and admires her naked backside. She tosses him a washcloth and he smiles at her gratefully as he wipes himself off.

“I just thought of something.” He tells her as Rey lies back down next to him.

“Mmm.” She murmurs as she snuggles up against his side, draping a bare leg over his. “About what?”

“Another reason why I like hyenas.”

Rey lifts her head slightly. “Yeah?”

Ben turns his head to look at her and he wraps an arm around her shoulder. “Hyenas clans are led by a female, with the males holding positions beneath her.” He suggestively waggles his eyebrows and Rey bursts out laughing.

“So you’re saying I’m a hyena?” Rey asks him.

“No.” Ben shakes his head. “Just observing that I appreciate strong women in a position of power, be it hyenas, or yourself.”

“Mmm. I’ll take that as a compliment.” She says as she nuzzles into his chest. He leans his head down and gently kisses her forehead before drifting off into one of the best nights of sleep he’s had since he arrived at Takodana.

Beyond the bamboo walls of Pasaana, two lions roar in the distance.

Babu arrives bright and early the next morning and he assists the tribesmen in dismantling the tents. If anyone suspects that Ben’s tent went unused, save for when he got dressed this morning, they don’t let it be known. The tribeswomen and children hug Rey goodbye as Ben loads their duffels into Babu’s Jeep. Rey stoops low so that Maz can hug her and bestow upon Rey a handmade necklace made out of rounded wooden beads and corn husk emblems. Ben helps Rey into the Jeep, even though he knows she doesn’t need it.

“Babu?” Rey asks ask they settle into the same seat at the back of the vehicle. “Take the scenic route, please!”

Babu smiles his signature toothless grin. “Yes Miss Rey!” Babu says. “Hey, hey!” As they ride off into the savanna, past the herds of zebras, gazelles, and giraffes, Babu pretends not to see Ben and Rey kiss from the Jeeps rearview mirror.

Once back at D’Qar, Finn walks out of the welcome center to greet them, much like he did when Ben first arrived at Takodana. Babu passes Finn the bundles of tents from out of the back of the Jeep as Ben and Rey exit with their duffels and sleeping bags.

“Did you two enjoy yourselves? Maz wasn’t too overbearing, was she?” Finn asks Rey.

“She’s a bit of an acquired taste.” Rey laughs. “But the festival was very moving. Wouldn’t you agree Ben?”

Ben clears his throat, as he hefts his duffel over his shoulder. “It was interesting, I’ll say that much.”

Finn raises an eyebrow as he appraises Ben and Rey as they stand side by side. It shouldn’t be a surprise to Ben that Finn could identify the meaning behind the smudged, yet still prominent tribal markings on their bare arms.

“Something you need to tell me?” Finn asks Rey.

“Nope!” Rey says, grinning cheerfully before glancing over at Ben. He looks down at her and smirks.

“Mmmhmm.” Finn muses, his tone making it clear he doesn’t believe them. “Poe is still under the weather, so I suggest you enter your cabin with caution.” Finn warns Ben.

“Oh. Right.” Ben says. After everything that transpired last night, Ben had forgotten all about Poe being sick. “Thanks.”

Finn nods at him before wandering back inside the station.

“You know…” Rey says, lightly touching Ben’s arm. “Rose is out on the reserve again today. Maybe you should rest in my cabin for a while.” Her tone is highly suggestive. 

Ben reaches down and takes her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. “That sounds like a great idea.” He grins at her. “Lead the way.”

^#^#^

Three Years Later

Ben stands at the edge of the village of Pasaana, the rounded straw huts behind him casting shadows as the sun sets. A breeze rolls past, rattling a gourd chime that hangs from one of the huts. The yellow grass of the savanna leans in the wind and it licks at the collar of his white dress shirt. He closes his eyes and tilts his head slightly skyward, allowing himself to feel the sun and the wind. The elements are manifesting themselves as that unseen force that not only calls to him, but comforts him. They assure him that right now, in this moment, on this particular day, that there is peace with the choices he has made, and all is right with the world

“You okay over here Mr. Solo?”

He opens his eyes at the sound of the voice behind him. He turns to look at Rey, standing there in a long ivory maxi dress whose skirt flutters in the breeze. Her hair is swept up in a messy bun underneath a floral crown woven with African violets and baby’s breath. There is a line of white paint that trails down the ridge of her nose that cuts through her lips and a single white dot on each of her cheeks under her eyes, the mark of the ‘umakoti’.

“That’s Doctor Mister Solo to you, missy.” He teases her as he holds out a hand to her. She grins as she reaches out and takes his hand. He pulls her in front of him and they stand there watching the sunset in the distance, his arms wrapped around her tight. “I’m fine.” He mumbles into her shoulder. “Just thinking about my father.”

“Mmm.” Rey murmurs as she leans back into Ben. “I think he’d be happy.” She says optimistically.

“I think so too.” Ben answers after a moment.

There is another pause between them and Rey playfully breaks the silence. “Though I’m afraid your mother might not feel the same way once she finds out.”

“She’ll get over it.” Ben says with a shrug. “She can come to the court house, when this is official.”

“This _is_ official.” Rey tells him, patting his hand that rests on her waist.

“Somehow I don’t think the United States recognizes African tribal weddings.” Ben says with an apologetic nod of his head.

“Right…” Rey muses with a frown. “Can we have two anniversaries then?” She asks thoughtfully.

“If that’s what you want, then sure.” Ben answers with a soft laugh.

They stay there, gazing out across the African grasslands. The wind rolls past again and Ben pulls Rey closer and gently kisses her shoulder.

“You know… I was thinking...” He begins. “When we have kids… I want them to be born here.”

“Here?” Rey balks. “In a remote African village with no modern medicine? No thanks!”

Ben laughs and squeezes her. “Not Pasaana!” He chuckles. He spins her around to look at her. “I meant here, in Africa.” His eyes flit over her face, studying her reaction. “Even though it’s where my father died, it’s where I met you. It’s where we fell in love.” He brushes a strand of hair off her cheek and tucks it behind her ear. “Kind of like, a circle of life sort of thing….” He says before trailing off.

“Oh Ben… You quoted ‘The Lion King’.” Rey says, placing a hand on his cheek. He grins underneath her hand.

“What can I say? It’s growing on me.” He teases. 

“Well then.” Rey grins back in reply. “I think that sounds perfect. The Solo pride.”

“What about the Solo cackle?” Ben offers. Rey makes a face. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound as good as I’d hoped.” He laughs. “All right then. We’ll start a pride, all our own.”

THE END

^#^#^

**Zulu Translations:**

Ama-american ayisiphukuphuku - Stupid American

Ubani indoda enesibazi? - Who is the man with the scar?

Umcwaningi ovela eMelika. Qaphela lowo - A researcher from the United States. Beware of that one.

Kungani usho njalo? - Why do you say that?

Ngizokutshela ngokuhamba kwesikhathi - I’ll tell you later.

Uyazi ukuthi ubukeka kanjani? - Know what he looks like?

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba - Here comes a lion, father (from Circle of Life from Lion King)

Shesha! - Hurry!

Nansi indlela - This is the way.

Umakoti - Bride

 **Xhosa Translations:**

We baba zingela - We became hunters (from the Lioness Chant from Lion King Broadway)

Siyo zingela baba - Not hunting for fathers (from the Lioness Chant from Lion King Broadway)

Ungubanu igama lakho? - What’s your name?

Hukana nawe! - Off with you!

Mamela - Listen

^#^#^


End file.
